This application is related to commonly-owned, co-pending applications entitled xe2x80x9cSystem and Method for Call Park and Transfer in a Telecommunications Networkxe2x80x9d having application No. 08/796,840, filed on Feb. 7, 1997, now abandoned and xe2x80x9cNetwork Call Parking Managerxe2x80x9d having application No. 08/796,839 filed Feb. 7, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,144.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer telephony, and more particularly to continuing a telephone call placed on a telephone network.
2. Related Art
The proliferation of call centers within many different industries has introduced new requirements into the functionality of telecommunications networks. A call center is typically a platform and location used by a business for customer services, operator services, telemarketing, or other such purposes. At a typical call center, individuals known as xe2x80x9cagentsxe2x80x9d interact with callers to accomplish these purposes. Callers commonly access a call center by dialing a 1-8XX number, though any type of telephone number can be used.
Despite recent advances in call center technology, it is not uncommon for a call center to become so overburdened with incoming calls that callers are forced to wait for long periods of time to be connected to a call center agent. In some cases these periods are so long that callers hang up.
Such long wait times result in increased telephone costs for the call center, inconvenience to the caller, the perception by callers of poor service, and the loss of calls and the business associated with those calls.
The present invention is a system and method for continuing a telephone call placed by a caller to a call center in a telecommunications network. As described below, the present invention can be used to continue calls to other types of destinations. When a caller attempts to make a call to a call center that is unavailable, the present invention can be used to continue the call. The system obtains callback information for the caller, where the callback information includes a telephone number where the caller can be reached. The caller can then end the call. When the call center is again available, the system continues the call by placing a call to the caller at the callback telephone number, placing a call to the destination, and joining the two calls.
In a preferred embodiment, calls to be continued are placed in a call queue, and are continued, in first-in first-out order. In one embodiment, calls can be prioritized and continued in priority order. In another embodiment, the caller can specify the time at which the call should be continued.
One advantage of the present invention is that it permits a caller to hang up when the destination is unavailable, and have the call automatically continued when the destination is again available.
Another advantage of the present invention over conventional approaches is that it can be used with call destinations that do not have outbound calling capability.
Further features and advantages of the present invention as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.